Article for multiplicate marking



J y 25, 1967 R. s. AVERY 3,332,829

ARTICLE FOR MULTIPLIGATE MARKING Filed Feb. 18, 1964 INVENTOR.

RAY 6. flvER 7 2}; PEA/FIVE & 60/900 Arraeme'ya United States Patent3,332,829 ARTICLE FOR MULTIPLICATE MARKING Ray S. Avery, Bradbury,Califl, assignor to Avery Adhesive Products Inc., San Marino, Califi, acorporation of California Filed Feb. 18, 1964, Ser. No. 345,676 7Claims. (Cl. 161-83) This invention relates to a multiplicate,embossmentresponsive article; and more particularly to a multiple-invention to provide a multiplicate marking article.

A further object is to provide an article for mutiplicate markingcomprising at least two embossmentresponsive color-changing webs,wherein the webs have the same sensitivity to color change to produceembossed images of different color contrast.

A further object is to provide an article for mulutiplicate markingcomprising at least two embossment-responsive color-changing webs,wherein the webs embody different sensitivity to color change to produceembossments having the same color contrast.

A further object is to provide an article for multiplicate marking,comprising two or more embossment-responsive webs, at least one of whichis an embossmentresponsive color-changing web, and another capable ofretaining an embossed image.

Other objects of this invention will appear in the following descriptionand appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawingsforming a part of this specification wherein like reference charactersdesignate corresponding parts in the several views.

FIGURE 1 is an enlarged, fragmentary cross-sectional view of amultiplicate marking article made in accordance with the presentinvention wherein the color-changing webs are of laminated construction;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary cross-sectional view, similar toFIGURE 1, of a second embodiment wherein the color-changing webs are ofunitary construction;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary cross-sectional view of a thirdembodiment of the invention comprising two embossment-responsive webs,one being an embossment-responsive color-changing web, and the other anembossment-responsive web capable of retaining an embossed marking; and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an alternate arrangementof the embodiment of FIGURE 3.

Before explaining the present invention in detail, it

is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its applicationto the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of otherembodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also,it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employedherein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

The first embodiment This embodiment of the invention comprises aplurality of embossment-responsive color-changing webs, each of "icewhich is of laminated construction as distinguished from a unified web.

As shown in FIGURE 1, the laminated webs are designated I and II.

At the top, web I includes a transparent color-changing coating 10,which may be formed of acrylonitrile butadiene-styrene polymer or thelike. This material displays the phenomenon of color change whendistorted beyond the yield point. Such color change occurs when thedistortion is performed while the coating is cold or at roomtemperatures. This is visible from the front face of web I.

Numeral 12 designates a transparent film of plastic such as Mylar. Thisis a trademark for a highly durable, transparent, water-repellent filmof polyethylene terephthalate resin, characterized by outstandingstrength, electrical properties and chemical inertness. This carrierfilm does not exhibit a change in color when embossed. In the extendedscope of invention, equivalent carrier films of this nature can beutilized.

Numeral 14 designates a base color coating that forms the background forcolor changes produced in layer 10 when the total structure comprisesboth webs I and II is distorted, as by embossing.

Numeral 16 designates a pressure-sensitive adhesive coating. Thisoptionally, though preferably, is adjacent to a release coating 18 topermit laminated web I to be stripped away from web II. The coating 18may originally form the lowest coating of a web I or the top coating ofweb II.

Web II is also a laminated structure suitably having the pattern oflayers 10, 12, 14, 16, and 18 repeated. At the bottom, however, there isadditionally a removable protective backing 20.

The construction comprises webs I and -II as shown in FIGURE 1 actuallyhas a total thickness of only a few thousandths of an inch because ofthe low order of thickness of the various layers. Therefore, it is to beunderstood that this construction can be formed into an elongated tapeto which embossing pressures can be applied by means of a suitable tool.

When the multiplicate construction of FIGURE 1 is embossed, accurate,fool-proof duplicates will be made in each of webs I and II in a singleoperation.

In an exemplary use, a tape embossing tool would simultaneously embossboth webs I and II. Then during the cut-off operation, a tab would beformed so that the protective backing 20 could be removed from web II.The exposed adhesive 16 would thereafter be applied to a suitablearticle, applying web II as a label. The upper web I would then bepeeled away and placed elsewhere as an exact duplicate of web II It isto be understood that color-changing coating 10-1 can be the same ordifierent from color-changing coating 10-11. Thus they may have the sameor different sensitivity to color change.

In any event, these materials have the characteristic of becoming opaqueor exhibiting different light reflection when distorted beyond the yieldpoint. The effect is to produce a contrast embossment on a backgrounddetermined by base color coating 14.

The base color coatings 14-1 and 14-11 also can be different. Thus,while on blue and white on red would be produced from a compositestructure wherein coating 14-1 was red and coating 14-II was blue. Thusthe original and duplicate would always be readily identifiable as such.

The color coatings 10-1 and 14-11, or either of them, may be over ratherthan under their associated base film 12-1 or 12-II, .in which case thebase film or films may be either transparent or opaque.

Embodiment 2 The previous embodiment relates to a laminated webconstruction. Thus, the color-changing coatings have been placed upon,rather than being a characteristic of, the plastic carrier film 12.However, the invention also encompasses unified color-changing webs ornon-laminar webs. This construction is shown in FIGURE 2.

At the top there is a unified color-changing plastic Web 24 asdistinguished from the laminated webs I and II of FIGURE 1.

Web 24 is suitably made of a film of acrylonitrile buta diene-styrenepolymer or like color-changing film of appropriate thickness toconstitute a uni-fled color-changing Web in the absence of a supportingbase, such as the layer 12 of FIGURE 1. The web 24 may be transparent orhave appropriate coloring agents milled in. If transparent, a color coat(not shoWn) corresponding to coat 14 of FIGURE 1 may optionally beapplied to web 24.

Beneath web 24 is a pressure-sensitive adhesive coating 16, and beneaththat a release coating 18. This forms a so-called unified web III whichcan be stripped from the subjacent web IV.

Web IV also includes a unified color-changing plastic Web 24 beneathwhich is a coating of pressure-sensitive adhesive 16. A release coating18 provides the means whereby the removable protective backing 20 can bestripped away. Web IV may be modified in the ways discussed above inconnection with web III.

It will be noted that the multiplicate article IIIIV is ready for usewith the adhesive components protected from dust by the impervious toplayer 24 and the protective backing 20.

For use, the multiplicate article IIIIV is embossed by suitable means toproduce accurate fool-proof duplicates as made with the firstembodiment.

Thereafter, the protective backing 20 is removed and web IV applied to asurface. Then the upper web III is peeled away for use elsewhere. Therelease coating Iii-III makes this possible.

Extended scope of invention It is to be understood that though the priorembodiments have been described as two-web constructions, the broadscope of invention includes multiplicate constructions, meaning at leasttwo webs. Depending upon the capacity of embossing machinery, five orsix webs or more may beemployed.

As unified webs, other materials that can be employed includeunplasticized straight polyvinyl chloride and polyvinylchloride-polyvinyl acetate copolymers. Other socalled rigid plastics ofthis nature may also be encompassed within the invention.

In the foregoing embodiments of the invention it is to be understoodthat the following apply: The upper layer will be found to undergo asharper color change than the bottom layer in an embossing operationwherein both color-changing webs have the same color change sensitivity.This produces an advantage in the fact that the original and duplicateare always readily identifiable as such. However, substantially exactduplicates can be produced if the bottom web incorporates greater colorchanging sensitivity than the top web. By such construction, duplicateimages having the same color contrast are produced.

The duplicator concept From the foregoing it will be evident that theinvention is extensible to a multiplicate system wherein one of the websis embossment-responsive, but not necessarily sensitive to color change.This would include an aluminum foil, heavy plastic web or the like asone of the layers. This web, however, is capable of retaining anembossed image that is functional as a printing face. Such an embodimentis shown in FIGURE 3.

At the top, there is a color-changing plastic web 26 suitably of thenature of the unified web 24, shown in FIGURE 2, or the laminatedstructure It), 12, 14, as shown in FIGURE 1. Next is apressure-sensitive adhesive layer 16 and then a release coating 18. Atthe bottom there is an embossment-responsive metal foil web 28. Noprotective backing is necessary since web 28 functions as such.

In this embodiment the top web 26 undergoes a color change on beingdeformed, as has been previously described. The web 28, thoughembossment-responsive, does not necessarily undergo a color change butdoes retain its embossed configuration. This sheet is utilized forproducing printed images that are necessarily exact and accurateduplicates of that embossed on the color-change web 26.

In the extended scope of invention, the metal foil web 28 of FIGURE 3can be positioned on top if desired. This is shown in FIGURE 4. Next tothe foil web 23 is an adhesive coating 16 followed by a release coating18. The color-changing web 26 then follows, with adhesive 16, releasecoating 18, and protective backing 20.

Summary From the foregoing it will be understood that a principaladvantage of the present invention resides in the fact that there is anabsolute guarantee that the original and duplicate or duplicates arealways identical. This prevails throughout all embodiments of theinvention.

The present invention has substantial utility. Thus in hospitals,stores, laboratories, libraries and the like, wherever duplicate recordsare kept, the present invention can be used.

An exemplary application for use is in libraries for the labeling andinventory control of books. Presume'that a book is to be labeled, and aprinted record of the label as applied to the book provided at a remotelocation. A multiplicate article of invention is embossed. Thereafterone of the embossed webs is applied to the back of the book. Due to thecurvature of the book, however, it would not be possible to print ortake an impression from the label thereon to apply it to an index card.However, the other embossed web can be applied to a fiat backing andplaced in a press to transfer the indicia therefrom, as by a carbontransfer paper, to an index card. Under the conditions of the presentinvention this printed record is exactly the same as that recorded onthe back of the book, even though placed in a remote location from thebook.

What I claim is:

1. An article for multiplicate marking comprising first and second coldembossment-responsive color changing we-bs, a first layer ofpressure-sensitive adhesive adhesively connected on one of its sides tosaid first web and adhesively connected on the other of its sides tosaid second web, the adherence between said one side of said first layerand said first web providing a permanent connection therebetween andbeing substantially stronger than the adherence between said other sideof said first layer and said second *web so that said first layer andsaid first web are strippable as a unit from said second web, theadherence between said first layer and said second web beingsufliciently strong so that said second web remains attached to andprotects said first layer during handling and embossing, a third web, asecond layer of pressuresensitive adhesive adhesively connected on oneof its sides to the side of said second web opposite said first layerand adhesively connected on its other side to said third web, theadherence between said second layer and said second web providing apermanent connection therebetween and being substantially stronger thanthe adherence between said second layer and said third web so that saidsecond layer and said second web are strippable as a unit from saidthird web, the adherence between said second layer and said third webbeing sufiiciently strong so that said third web remains attached to andprotects said second layer during handling and embossing.

2. An article as set forth in claim 1 wherein a release coating isinterposed between each pressure-sensitive adhesive layer and the web towhich the adhesive layer is stripably adhered.

3. An article as defined in claim 1 wherein said third web is adisposable protective backing.

4. An article as defined in claim 1 wherein said third web isem-bossment responsive for marking use.

5. An article as set forth in claim 4 wherein a third layer ofpressure-sensitive adhesive is permanently adhered to the side of saidthird web opposite said second layer, and a fourth web is stripablyadhered to the side of said third layer opposite said third web.

6. A article as set forth in claim 1 wherein said second web has greatersensitivity of color change response than said first web whereby colorchange differences between raised embossments simultaneously formed onsaid first and second webs by an embossing tool are minimized.

7. An article for multiplicate marking comprising first and second coldem'bossrnent-responsive webs, a first layer of pressure-sensitiveadhesive adhesively connected on one of its sides to said first web andadhesively connected on the other of its sides to said second web, theadherence between said one side of said first layer and said first webproviding a permanent connection therebetween and being substantiallystronger than the adherence between said other side of said first layerand said second web so that said first layer and said first web arestripable as a unit from said second web, the adherence between saidfirst layer and said second web being sufficiently strong so that saidsecond web remains attached to and protects said first layer duringhandling and embossing, a third web, a second layer ofpressure-sensitive adhesive adhesively connected on one of its sides tothe side of said second web opposite said first layer and adhesivelyconnected on its other side to said third web, the adherence betweensaid second layer and said second web providing a permanent connectiontherebetween and being substantially stronger than the adherence betweensaid second layer and said third web so that said second layer and saidsecond web are stripable as a unit from said third web, the adherencebetween said second layer and said third web being sufiiciently strongso that said third web remains attached to and protects said secondlayer during handling and embossing, at least one of said first andsecond webs being color changing embossment-responsive.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,036,945 5/1962 Souza 161-406ALEXANDER WYMAN, Primary Examiner.

JACOB H. STEINBERG, Examiner.

1. AN ARTICLE FOR MULTIPLICATE MARKING COMPRISING FIRST AND SECOND COLDEMBOSSMENT-RESPONSIVE COLOR CHANGING WEBS, A FIRST LAYER OFPRESSURE-SENSITIVE ADHESIVE ADHESIVELY CONNECTED ON ONE OF ITS SIDES TOSAID FIRST WEB AND ADHESIVELY CONNECTED ON THE OTHER OF ITS SIDES TOSAID SECOND WEB, THE ADHERENCE BETWEEN SAID ONE SIDE OF SAID FIRST LAYERAND SAID FIRST WEB PROVIDING A PERMANENT CONNECTION THEREBETWEEN ANDBEING SUBSTANTIALLY STRONGER THAN THE ADHERENCE BETWEEN SAID OTHER SIDEOF SAID FIRST LAYER AND SAID SECOND WEB SO THAT SAID FIRST LAYER ANDSAID FIRST WEB ARE STRIPPABLE AS A UNIT FROM SAID SECOND WEB, THEADHERENCE BETWEEN SAID FIRST LAYER AND SAID SECOND WEB BEINGSUFFICIENTLY STRONG ON THAT SAID SECOND WEB REMAINS ATTACHED TO ANDPROTECTS SAID FIRST LAYER DURING HANDLING AND EMBOSSING, A THIRD WEB, ASECOND LAYER OF PRESSURESENSITIVE ADHESIVE ADHESIVELY CONNECTED ON ONEOF THE SIDES TO THE SIDE OF SAID SECOND WEB OPPOSITE SAID FIRST LAYERAND ADHESIVELY CONNECTED ON ITS OTHER SIDE TO SAID THIRD WEB, THEADHERENCE BETWEEN SAID SECOND LAYER AND SAID SECOND WEB PROVIDING APERMANENT CONNECTION THEREBETWEEN AND BEING SUBSTANTIALLY STRONGER THANTHE ADHERENCE BETWEEN SAID SECOND LAYER AND SAID THIRD WEB SO THAT SAIDSECOND LAYER AND SAID SECOND WEB ARE STRIPPABLE AS A UNIT FROM SAIDTHIRD WEB, THE ADHERENCE BETWEEN SAID SECOND LAYER AND SAID THIRD WEBBEING SUFFICIENTLY STRONG SO THAT SAID THIRD WEB REMAINS ATTACHED TO ANDPROTECTS SAID SECOND LAYER DURING HANDLING AND EMBOSSING.